Tragic schoolboy Ultan Hayes has saved four lives after his organs were donated, his funeral has heard today.

Heartbroken mourners were told that even in death, the little Ultan has given life - three of the recipients were children.

Ultan's devastated mother Orla addressed a packed Mass of the Angels at St Caimin’s Church in the village of Mountshannon, east Clare, where she paid tribute “to our most wonderful boy”.

Orla said: “We may be a little bit biased, but to us, Ultan was the best.”

At the offertory a donor card was offered up and mourners were told: "Even in death, Ultan showed his unflinching determination to help others and to always give back.

“Ultan’s gift has hopefully allowed four other people, three of them children, to live a full, rewarding and loved life. In these people, as well as our hearts, he will always live on”.

In her address, Orla told the congregation: “Ultan Gilbert Thomas Hayes was born at 8.35am November 11th, 2005 and from that moment on, things were done his way.

“As a fighter consumed with the need to be first and to be the best, these principles, along with kindness, generosity - unless that meant Ultan having to share his sweets- and unconditional positive regard for others were the hallmarks for his life that he strove to achieve each and every day."

Ms Hayes reminded mourners “we must remember that we are the lucky privileged few that had Ultan in our lives each and every day and it is now our responsibility to keep his flame alive. And even as great as our sorrow is, his joy is far greater”.

Ulatn's last journey (Image: Press 22)

Ultan died last Friday as a result of serious injuries sustained while travelling on a new quad bike his father Brian was driving a short distance from the family home on Thursday night.

Today the 12-page mass booklet contained heart-breaking handwritten messages from his brother and sister, Oisin and Alannah, with Oisin, nine, also drawing a picture of Ultan with a hurley and sliotar.

In his letter, Oisin wrote: "To Ultan, I don’t know what to say, so I will just you how I am feeling. I am really, really sad. I will miss you so, so much. You always played with me, you always standed up for me."

In her message, Alannah wrote: "To Ultan, I miss you so so much, we would always fight over something small. We’d have races together. It’ll never be same without you, we will all miss you and love you forever, Love Alannah.”

At the start of the mass Alannah, Oisin and two-year-old Donnacha joined their mother behind Ultan’s white coffin carried by dad Brian and other shocked relatives.

The booklet also contained family photos showing Ultan playing with little Donnacha supporting Clare’s hurlers last year and enjoying happy times with his family.

Orla said: “Today, we grieve for our loss but we ask that for every tear we shed, we also smile a little as today, tomorrow and every day from here on, it will done in celebration of Ultan's most wonderful life and all that he achieved.

She added: “We know that from time to time our strength will fail and we ask you our friends to hold us, guide us and remind us of his spirit and convictions, his smile and his love for life.”

Orla read out a poem written by Aunty ‘D’ that included the lines “Our brother, our brother, our sweet little brother; You must go now, it is time to rest, will you keep showing us how to be the best? We will keep playing and running along, knowing you are there keeping us strong”.

As part of the offertory procession, relatives brought up Ultan’s favourite jerseys - his Clare, Munster and local GAA club Whitegate tops - along with the Mother’s Day card he made for Orla last week.

Mourners told “while Donnacha might have been the baby, to this day, Ultan still remains his Mammy’s baby, and no day was complete without some cuddle time”.

Ultan’s ballet shoes, running shoes, badminton racket and magic set were also brought up “testament to the varied and full life he constantly sought out”.

Donnacha’s hurley was also offered up with the church told that “while Ultan loved being a little brother to Alannah and Oisin, and being spoilt by them, he relished being the big brother. The calls of UL-TAN, at all hours of day and nights to play with and teach Donnacha, made his day.”

Ultan’s Wellingtons were also offered up to symbolise “how much Ultan loved the one on one time he got with his Daddy while there were out on the farm”.

Ultan was due to celebrate his first communion next month with five of his class-mates. As a mark, Ultan’s Communion Candle was also offered up and mourners were told that “as with all things, Ultan had been meticulous in his planning of this milestone right down to his green double tier chocolate and biscuit cake”.

Fr John Jones said the mass for Ultan “is one of the saddest occasions imaginable” and offered the community’s “boundless sympathy” to the Hayes family.

Fr Jones described Ultan a "wonder" and "an exceptional child". He said: “He was the most wonderful child. When you met Ultan, you met his father, mother and family because of the values they had given to him.”

Fr Jones said that the community has been left devastated by Ultan’s death. He said: “Ultan was just a wonder, perfection was his standard and that is what he achieved.”

At the end of the mass, Brian read out out a short reflection in tribute to Ultan: “The life that I have is all that I have, And the Life that I have is yours, The love that I have of the life that I have, is yours and yours and yours.

"A sleep I shall I have, A rest I shall have, Yet death will be but a pause, For the peace of my years in the long green grass, Will be yours and your and yours. Love you baby’. Ultan’s remains were later buried at the nearby Clonrush Cemetery."